Guard for electric meters



Nov. 1, 1927@ C. J. GILLEN GUARD FOR ELECTRIC METERS Filed March 20. 1926 Iai I nventor g/, GIV/er1A Q Chan/ea ttomey Patented Nov. 1, 1927.

Laatste CHARLES J'. GILLEIT, 0F CARBQNDALE, EENNSYLVANIA.

Y `simian Anon nnncrnic ivinrnns.-

l appiicaeion sied Marca 20,1926. seria'i Ne 96,280. Y

This-invention relates to a guard'for elecl tric meters and particularly to the usual type of watt `hour meter used in measuringelectric currents supplied tovjhouses, stores and the like. An object of the invention resides in providing a guard foranelectric `meterwhicliV isadapted topiotect the terminals ofthe meter andthe wires adjacenttheretofor `pre-A venting unauthorized `persons from using the current from'the supply vline or source ofpower without itsbeing recorded on` the ous types in presentfuse which may be readily applied to the terminal blocksof the 1 i meter and held by the same seal y'that seals the. meter for l protecting the, service and .load wires attached thereto.

Another object of the invention resides' in providing a guard for meters which be constructed from stamped sheet material lin order to produce a-guard of an eiiicient chari acter which 4is simple in construction, .and may be manufactured at a low cost. f

The invention comprehends numerous other objects residing in the detailsof conn struction of the guard which are inorepar ticularly pointed out in the following description and claims directed to` afpreferred form of the invention, it being understood, however, that Vvarious changes .in the*` size, shape and relation of the parts may be made iniorder to provide a guard .for `different types of meters without departing from theA spirit or scope of the invention as herein set forth;

In the drawing forming partfof this application: `I .i fFigure'l is affront elevation of a. meter and the improved guardappliedthereto.

i Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l, showing the guard in vertical longitudinal sec` f tion.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. y o.

Fig. Il is a sectional view taken online Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5*-5 of Fig. 2. c i

Fig. 6 is a view of a piece of stamped sheet material from which ,the guard is formed.

This invention is adapted for application to the usual electric light meter now in general use for measuring current supplied to consumers l"in houses, stores andthe like, and includes a base indicated at 'l on which the= meter 2 is mounted and which in its usualconstruction, is provided with an indicating` dial structure at 3 by which the vconsumed current can be read.

liis'meter 2 's provided with a depending portion l housingthe terminals for the wires which connect the meter to the service and the load. 'It has been found from yeirperience in the `operation of these electric meters, that it `is not dithcult to disconnect the wire from the meter after the same is sealedfto indicate tampering, as a result of which` `considerable revenueislost byy elec# tric power companies from thestealing of curr-entby disconnecting the wires from the meter "and using the current direct. In order to overcome this, and provide means wherebyaccess to the connections with the meter are protected,- the guard device of this in vention has beenV designed with this result in'view..

This.` guard is indicated generally at 5 and includes a bottom' 6, front and rear side walls k7 and 8,'resp'ectively, andV end walls 9. 'This guard is preferably formed of sheet materialV which may/ be cut so as `to form the various parts thereof. In producingthis guard from `a pieceof sheet material, vthe same may be suitably die stamped as indicatedin Fig.f 6 to provide ablank form from whichl the guartdlis formed by bending the variousportions into proper shape(y Thefside'walls 7 and 8 are integralwi'th the bottom 6 as clearly .shown in the drawing, beingbent Vinto the form as shown particularly in Figs. LLand 5. Theends of the front and rear. side wall portions are formed with extensions l() shown'clearlyrin Fig. 6 .vhile the end portions ofthe bottom 6 have Y 1 extensions ll ofsubstantial length thereon.

They extensions l1 are formed inthe iinislied guard so asto extend insidejoi the o guardin a manner as will presently appear, while the extensions `10 on the sides 7 and 8 are bent laterally from thesidestoward each other'as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 to form A'the vends l 9 in` cooperation` with the strip 12"having the ends returned toward each other as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The strips 12 are so formed that the turned end extends inside .of the extensions 10 on the side, while the central portion of the strip overlies the outside of these ends, and forms the completed 'ends 9 of the guard.-

Vished form of the guard by the extensions v .which are folded inwardly along the sides 7 and 8, from the dotted line indicated at 16 in Fig. 6, forming the upper edgel of this The end portions Vare exguard -membertended inwardly from the dotted lines 17 toward each other and inclined in substantially parallel relation to the inclined portions 13 yof the extensions 11. The ends of the extensions 15 are in spaced parallel relation with respect to the ends 13 of the extensions 11, so as to receive a pair of felt strips 18 between which the wires 14 extend, and which guide the wires into and Vout of the guard member as clearly shown in Fig.

2. The felt strips'18 'further protect the wires from engagement with the metal from' which the guard isormed so there will be yno chafingo" the insulation and tendencies to short circuit are materially reduced or eliminated.

The central portion of the sides 7 and 8 are formed with extensions 19 which are' bent inwardly along the sides 7 and 8 as shown in F 4 from the line indicated in dotted lines' at 2O in Fig. 6. This provides for a substantially strong securing lug yon the forward side of the guard member which is formed with an opening to receive the sealing pin 21 ,of the electric meter which receives the sealing wire 22 and the seal 23. The screw member l24 extends through openings in the front and rear walls of the guard member to secure the guard member in rigid connection n with` the rbase 1 mounting the meter, while suitable openings 25 are adapta ed to receive the seal wire 22 in interloclred relation in such a manner vthat this sealing wire may extend through the slot in the head of screw 24 as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

` InA providing this guard member rin this construction, it may be readily tted over the lower end of the extension 4 of the electric meter and the same seal vused to seal the parts of the housing of the meter also providing a seal for the guard member by the cooperation of the guard member with the electric meter. The extensions 11 and 15 in providing a guideway for the entry of the electric wires 14 to the meter also `provide a support for the felt pads protecting the wires and in addition form a substantial reinforcement for the guard member in extending between the front and rear sides in such a manner that crushing-of the guard member is prevented through the stress distributing action of the extensions 11 and 15, andin this way mutilation of the guard is substantially prevented. `With the constructionabove provided, it will be seen that the guard member has spe-l cial cooperation with the meter inorder to permit the use of the same seal forjuniting the meter and the guard member Ato detect tampering, and that such a guard member will suitably support and prevent access to the terminals of the meters to which the wires are attached so.thatunauthorized persons may be prevented from stealing current.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is v Y 1. A guard for electric meters comprising a one-piece casing formed of sheet metal, having a bottom, end. and front y. and rear walls, said casingl having an open upper end,

cooperating wire guide-s formed on the end y and vfront and rear walls` of said casing, and extending transversely thereof in spaced relation, and means yfor securing the casing to the Imeter, said wire guides forming stress distributing members between the front and rear walls of saidcasing to prevent mutilation thereof.

2. A guard for electric meters comprising a casing form-ed of a piece of sheet material havingY bottom, end, front and rear walls, the upper end of said casingbeing open,- lower wire guides formed on the end walls of said casing and projecting inwardly and downwardly between the front and rear walls thereof, upper wire guide projections Yformed on the front and rear walls of said `casing; and progectlng inwardly in the casing inv spaced relation from the lower wire preventing access to the inteiiorthereot and,

said guard preventing access to the terminal connections of the meter when applied thereto.

In testimony whereof I Vaiiix my signature.

oHAnLns J. GiLLnN. 

